I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Monday morning, the 9th of September, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We go to the Book of Matthew 14:9:

“And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.” 

Peer pressure! King Herod secretly admired John the Baptist for his holiness and his fearless stand for truth and righteousness, but when the crowd was around him, he was under pressure to perform, and he buckled. Do not buckle under pressure. 

Just because everyone else is doing it, young lady, that does not make it right. All the girls in your class tell you they are not virgins - it’s not the truth. Do not conform just to be accepted. It could cost you a lot of pain and a lot of suffering. “The world stands aside for a man who knows where he is going” - isn’t that beautiful? People don’t have to like you but they must respect you. 

I looked up the Oxford Dictionary to find out the literal meaning of the words, “peer pressure”. It means to conform, it means to buckle to intimidation, to buckle under nagging, forcing someone to do something, twisting a person’s arm. Don’t allow it to happen. If you cannot afford to buy it, do not buy it. “Yes, but everybody else has got one.” It doesn’t matter? Cut your cloth according to your pocket and then you will have peace and sleep well at night. Just because other people are doing it, doesn’t make it right. 

King Herod knew what he was doing was wrong but in order to please people, he capitulated, he changed his mind, he let the show down and it cost him dearly. The man that Jesus said was the greatest man to be born from the womb of a woman, John the Baptist, was needlessly beheaded by a king who did not have the guts to stand. You ask yourself the question, “Well, what must I do? What is right? What is wrong? Do I pay my income tax or don’t I? Do I have an affair because all my friends are? ”Well, I will tell you what to do, it is very simple. You ask yourself one single question, and this is the question: What would Jesus do? Then you do what He would do, and you will be safe and you will live a righteous life and things will go well with you. Just do what the Master tells you to do. You will have peace, peace like a river, you will be able to sleep well, operate well. 

Jesus bless you and goodbye.